Take action: Send a butterfly of hope to women and girls in Nicaragua

“The butterfly (la mariposa) for us is a symbol of the desire to realise our dreams, spread our wings… fighting with the strength of our rights.”
Martha Munguiá, Nicaraguan Alliance of Women’s Centres

Rape and sexual abuse is widespread in Nicaragua, and two-thirds of reported rapes are against girls and young women under the age of 17. Please stand in solidarity with these young women and help make their voices heard by sending a butterfly and a message of hope in time for their demonstration in September.Take action: create a butterfly

Young survivors face extra trauma if they become pregnant because of the rape. For these women and girls the idea of giving birth may be unbearable, and the younger they are, the greater the danger to their health. But in Nicaragua they have no choice.

Since 2008, the law has made all forms of abortion in all circumstances a crime, even where the health and life of the woman is in danger or where she is the victim of rape or incest.

There is little or no help from the government who have failed to prevent sexual abuse and to provide care to survivors or to guarantee they receive justice and reparation. Young rape survivors need psychological, medical and legal support and help to rebuild their lives.

On 28 September 2011 women’s organisations and the Nicaraguan people will be marching to demand the repeal of the country’s total abortion ban and an end to widespread violence against women and girls.

Your solidarity will help carry the words of women and girls in Nicaragua one step closer to their government. Together we can make the government listen and act to protect the rights of girls and women. Please create a butterfly today

Thanks for your support,

Naomi McAuliffePoverty and Human Rights Campaigner

P.S If you missed the critically aclaimed new documentary looking back at 50 years of Amnesty International, it’s now on BBC iplayer. Watch now

This content has been copied from an email sent by Amnesty International UK. We thought this cause to be very important, therefore we published it integral without changing any wording.